I remember the scene of my favorite bird-chasing experience well. The Gregory Canyon trail in Boulder, bordered by Gambel’s oak and mixed conifer forest, would play host to a male Scarlet Tanager the summer of 2007. The Scarlet Tanager is an eastern species, but there are times when a vagrant will penetrate into the west. This reminds me of a phrase I have heard often from birders: birds don’t read the range maps in field guides. In saying this, I call to mind the Streak-backed Oriole in Loveland, CO, or the Lawrence’s Goldfinch in Mesa County, CO.
Cherry red with coal wings, the Scarlet Tanager is the only Piranga species to have a crook, a “tooth”, in its upper mandible. This particular bird spent its evening flirting with a female Western Tanager. Other birders joke that females of his own species wouldn’t take him, so he came out west looking for a cowgirl. On a more serious note, we ponder if such a pairing would actually be successful. What would the young look like? Furthermore, what would they sound like?
Such chases are more than a tick on a state list. They represent moments that belong to science—the mystery of bird movement, of beasts with wings. What are some of your favorite bird-chasing experiences? If your target bird proved an exceptional vagrant, take a moment to discuss the forces causing a bird to deviate from its “normal” range. Any thoughts on where the February 2008 White-crested Elaenia discovered in South Texas came from?
I’m kind of tired of chasing other people’s birds, unless it is really exciting. I’d rather find my own, and do quite often. Of course, first state records in my home state and lifers in my home state, I will try to see, if possible.
Without a driver’s license, we don’t get to chase rarities very often. Our parents will take us from time to time, if the bird is within about 45 minutes drive. Finding interesting birds wherever we happen to be, is more fun than chasing. This time last year, we found a Sage Sparrow right out our front door, which is a great bird for where we live.
Good Birding,
Marcel and Joel